Table aligning devices



March 15, 1955 J. A. MAHR TABLE ALIGNINYG DEVICES Original Filed Feb. 5, 1951 TABLE ALIGNING DEVICES Julius A. Mahr, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor, by memo assignments, to Harold R. Nielsen, St. Paul, Minn.

Original application February 5, 1951, Serial No. 209,416. Divided and this application June 9, 1952, Serial No. 292,483

1 Claim. (Cl. 311-68) My present invention relates to improvements in tablealigning devices and this application is a division of my pending application entitled Folding Table, Toggle Braces, Latch and Aligner, filed February 5, 1951, under Serial Number 209,416.

The object of this invention is to provide simple and highly efficient devices for holding two tables aligned in abutting engagement.

To the above end, the invention consists of the devices and combination of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claim.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a table and a fragment of a second like table held aligned in endwise abutting engagement by two of the novel aligners;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the tables shown in Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view partly in elevation and partly in section taken on the irregular line 3-3 of Fig. 2, on a greatly enlarged scale.

The table fully illustrated is designated by the letter A and the table fragmentarily illustrated is designated by the letter B. The table A will be fully described and the parts thereof designated by numerals and like parts of the table B will be given the same numerals followed by aprime Referring now in detail to the table A, its top assembly comprises an upper frame 4, a sub-frame 5, a skeleton frame 6 and a table top member 7. The upper frame 4 is formed of angle bars 8 in rectangular arrangement with one of their flanges 9 turned upwardly and their other flanges 10 turned inwardly.

The sub-frame underlies the upper frame 4, is formed of wide channel bars 11, the Webs 12 of which are vertically disposed, and their upper flanges 13 and their lower flanges 14 are turned inwardly. The inturned flanges of the upper frame 4 rest upon the intnrned upper flanges 13 of the sub-frame 5 and are rigidly secured thereto.

The skeleton frame 6 is fitted within the upturned flanges 9 of the upper frame 4, rest on the inturned flanges 10 of said upper frame and spaced below the upper edges of said upturned flanges.

The table top member 7 is fitted within the upturned flanges 9 of the upper frame 4 and rests on the inturned flanges 10 of said frame. It will be noted that the outer faces of the upturned flanges 9, at the ends of the table top structure, are flush with the respective outer faces of the channel bar webs 12.

This table top assembly is fully shown, described and broadly claimed in a co-pending application filed June 9, 1952 under Serial Number 292,484 and which is also a division of the application heretofore identified.

A pair of connected legs 15, at each end portion of the table top assembly, are pivoted thereto for inwardly folding movement within the sub-frame 5. Toggle braces 16 which are pivotally attached to the table top assembly and one to each pair of legs 15 hold said legs in upright posi- United States Patent 0 2,704,236 Patented Mar. 15, 1955 tions and are foldable therewith within the sub-frame 5.

These legs 15 and toggle braces 16 are fully illustrated, described and broadly claimed in the application Serial Number 209,416.

Referring now in detail to the present invention as embodied in the table A, one of the improved aligners 17 is mounted on the under side of the table top assembly, within the sub-frame 5, at each end of said table. These two aligners 17 are in diagonally opposite corners of the table A.

Each aligner 17 includes a bolt 18 slidably mounted in a keeper bracket 19 in the form of a wide U. The transverse member of the bracket 19 is straight and the side members 20 thereof are parallel and perpendicular to said transverse member. One of the side members 20, as shown, is considerably longer than the other. The keeper bracket 19 extends in a horizontal plane transversely of the table top assembly with its long side mem bers 20 in longitudinal contact with the inner side of the web 12 of the respective end channel bar 11 and is fixed thereto.

The bolt 18 is formed of a rectangular bar one end portion of which is bent at right angles in the plane of said bolt, to provide a handle 21. The bolt 18 extends endwise through aligned slots 22 in the side members 20, and a slot 23 in the respective channel bar web 12, with a working fit. A leaf spring 24 secured to the transverse portion of the keeper bracket 19 yieldingly bears against the bolt 18 and frictionally holds the same where set. The retracting movement of the bolt 18, in the keeper bracket 19, is stopped by a pin 25 in said bolt by its engagement with the short side member 20.

The tables A and B, when brought into endwise abutting engagement, as shown in Fig. 1, are held aligned by pro ecting the two bolts 18 in the abutting end portions of said tables through slots or sockets 26, one in each of the abutting end webs 12. The bolts 18, when retracted, are entirely within the table top assemblies, thus leaving the ends of said assemblies smooth.

It will be understood that the aligner described is capable of modification as to details of construction and arrangement.

What I claim is:

A rectangular table top having a depending apron, two bearing brackets secured to the apron on the inner side thereof and at diagonally opposite corner portions and also having two sockets in the other diagonal opposite corner portions of the table top, each bearing bracket havmg two laterally spaced members, a bolt mounted in said members for limited endwise sliding movement inv which in one of its positions it projects through the apron and outwardly thereof. the inner end of the bolt being bent to afford a handle, and a spring secured to the bearing bracket engaging the bolt and frictionally holding the same in any position where endwise adjusted, the bolt and socket at each end of the table being spaced the same as the bolt and socket at the other end of the table, whereby, when two like table tops are in abutting engagement, adjacent bolts extend into adjacent sockets and hold the table tops aligned.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 788,899 Grieves et al May 2, 1905 1,048,596 Sedaj Dec. 31, 1912 1,245,049 Silverstein Oct. 30, 1917 1,682,210 Belrose Aug. 28, 1928 2,100,622 Adams Nov. 30, 1937 2,116,001 Schlage May 3, 1938 2,403,338 Butler July 2, 1946 2,592,032 Henderson Apr. 8, 1952 2,596,663 Dufly May 13, 1952 2,619,394 Mahr Nov. 25, 1952 

